Volute Capitals Menu

Joel Drinkard, Jr. Professor of Old Testament  and Archaeology Southern Baptist  Theological Seminary

Location and Function of the Mudaybi^c Volute Capitals

The location and relationship of the five volute capitals and fragments in Field B at Mudaybi^c is shown in Figure 3. It should be noted that all the volute capitals and fragments have been found in or very near to the gate complex. There have been reconstructions previously which suggested how the volute capitals functioned in architectural structures. Some reconstructions have suggested they sat atop pilasters, as the suggested reconstruction at Megiddo. Other reconstructions have suggested that volute capitals sat on top of walls serving as a doorway with a lintel above the capital. The reconstruction of the Hazor walls and capitals in the Israel Museum is an example of this proposal. But prior to the excavations at Mudaybi^c, no volute capital had been found in situ. Md-5 was found essentially in situ. As Photo 8 below shows, it was found face down just as it tipped over falling off the pier wall. A close look at the photograph shows that the volute capital was still perfectly aligned with the pier wall as it was excavated. It is obvious that the capital originally sat on top of the pier wall both due to the alignment with the pier wall, and the fact that the base of the capital is exactly the same width as the pier wall: 165 cm. Probably the volute capital tipped off the pier wall in an earthquake that destroyed the gate complex. 

It is now possible to reconstruct accurately the original placement and function of the volute capitals from Mudaybi^c. Clearly the volute capital sat on top of the pier walls of the gate complex. The pier walls remain preserved approximately 1.5 meters in height; if that is almost the full original height, the capitals would have sat just above eye level. Then lintels would have run from pier wall to pier wall in the east-west direction (not across the main gateway) on top of the capitals, giving a height of at least 2.5 meters for the doorway into the gate chambers. Figure 4 below is a suggested reconstruction of capitals, lintels and pier walls. Since the main passageway of the gate is over 4 meters wide, wooden beams rather than lintels spanned this distance. Remains of several charred cypress beams have been excavated in squares O-8 and P-9. Radiocarbon dating of these beams gives a date of 760 B.C.E. ± 40 years. This date corresponds to the date suggested by the pottery found in the area. Also with the height of the lintel, the wood beams would give the gateway a height of over 3 meters.

• The volute capitals of Mudaybi^c

• Location and Function of the Mudaybi^c Volute Capitals

• Shiloh's Typology

• Recently found Volute Capitals

• Two Previously Unpublished Volute Capital Fragments

• Typology Revisited and Summary/Conclusion